Harry Potter & the Lord of Riddles
by pinkpenguin1
Summary: After their sixth year, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny attempt to find and destroy the remaining horcruxes by deciphering a list of riddles. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

As Harry Potter walked up Privet Drive, dragging a trunk and a cage containing a large snowy owl, he couldn't help feeling nervous. He had arrived at Kings Cross Station off the Hogwarts Express with his two best friends, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger . Together, they had walked through the magical ticket barrier to the Muggle world and found, to Harry's surprise, only Mrs. Weasley and Hermione's parents waiting for them. He knew the Dursleys hated him, but a they had still turned up all the other years to take him back to their home. Where were they? Hermione seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Aren't your aunt and uncle coming to pick you up Harry?" she muttered, scanning the crowd.

"I-" Harry begin, but he was cut short as Mrs. Weasley came over.

"Harry, oh Harry dear, how are you?" she pulled him into a hug and then examined him closely.

"Fine, Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied.

"Thanks for asking about us Mum," said Ron's younger sister Ginny as she came out of the barrier.

"Of course I was going to," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "How are you Ginny? Ron?"

"Fine-" Ginny started, but Mrs. Weasley had once again turned her attention to Harry

"Where are your aunt and uncle, dear?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure," said Harry. "They should be coming soon, though. "

They make small talk for 15 minutes until Ron moaned for the 7th time that he was starving. Hermione, who was standing quite close to him, quieted him.

"Honestly, Ron, we just ate on the train. "

Mrs. Granger checked her watch.

"Hermione, dear, it _is_ getting quite late, why don't you say your goodbyes and we'll go home. I'm sure Harry's family will be here soon.

"Mum!" snapped Hermione.

"No, it's OK, Hermione," said Harry.

"Yes, he can come back to the Burrow with us," Mrs. Weasley said. Ginny and Ron looked delighted, but-

"No, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "Dumbledore wanted me to go back to the Dursleys' one last time before I'm 17, and if that's what Dumbledore wanted me to do, then I'm going back, whether I like it or not.

"But, Harry, what if they don't come?" Ron asked.

"Then how are you going to get there?" continued Hermione.

Harry smiled grimly.

"I can Apparate. "

Mrs. Weasley looked doubtful

"Dear, you are too young to have a license-don't you think it would be better if one of us took you there?"

"Well," Harry took one last look around. Nobody came growling and grumbling to get him and take him home. "Alright. I guess the Dursleys aren't coming. "

"Alright then dear, I will take you home with your things," said Mrs. Weasley. "Ron, can you take Ginny home ?"

"Uh. . . " said Ron. Harry suppressed a smile. Ron and hadn't passed his apparition exam; he had left half an eyebrow behind.

"I can take Harry, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione, looking at Ron. "Then I can go home from there. "

Harry picked up his trunk and owl.

"Let's go then. Bye Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny. Come on Hermione."

He took her out, she turned, and Harry felt like he was being squeezed through a very small tube. Just when he thought his lungs would collapse, the pressure receded, and he was standing on pavement. The sign next to them read Privet Drive.

"Well, I will see you later, Hermione. "

"I'll see you soon Harry," she said, hugging him. "Bill and Fleur's wedding is in two weeks, and you'll be coming to the Burrow beforehand. "

"Right," said Harry. With a loud CRACK, Hermione disappeared, and Harry found himself standing alone on the road. He started making his way toward Number 4, wondering. _Why hadn't the Dursleys been at the station?_ As he turned the corner he saw the car parked in Number 4's driveway. So they had just decided not to come. He pulled his trunk up to the door and was about to open it when he paused. He had just heard a noise that sounded like sobbing. Wondering whether he should go inside or not, Harry peered in the window.

The three Dursleys were sitting at the kitchen table. A letter was sitting opened on it. Aunt Petunia was covering her face with her hands, and Uncle Vernon had his arm around her. Dudley for once was not eating, but sitting beside his mother with a serious expression on his face. It was this that made Harry realize that something was very wrong at Number 4.

Harry knocked on the door and opened it.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"Hey, I'm home," he said in a mock cheerfulness. There was no answer, and the crying grew louder, if anything. "I feel so welcome,"Harry muttered, and he proceeded to drag his trunk and Hedwig up the stairs. He had to readjust his grip on the cage several times, but as he reached the landing, the caged slipped from his hand. The cage bounced and clattered down the stairs; halfway down it burst open and out flew Hedwig, screeching. There were screams the from the kitchen and the three Dursleys appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Aunt Petunia's eyes were red - she was definitely the one crying. Uncle Vernon took one look at Harry, at the owl screeching around the ceiling, swelled... and deflated.

"Can you explain this?" he asked Harry, holding out a piece of paper. Harry, completely nonplused, took it. It was a newspaper cutting.

**Local Lady Disappeared Yesterday**

_Yvonne Chang, 42, disappeared from her home in London yesterday evening. The government worker was discovered gone from the house when her husband returned from work. Mr. Chang, who also works in government, was not available for comment, as he had to meet his teenage daughter, who was returning home from boarding school. _

_Continued on page 4 _

Harry glanced up.

"What does this have to do with _me_?" he asked.

"Yvonne Chang has been my best friend for years," sobbed Aunt Petunia.

"But why would I be able to explain this ?" Harry asked again.

"The circumstances are very - fishy," growled Uncle Vernon. "The house was completely locked when her husband arrived home. No windows were broken. "

"She didn't just leave by herself?" suggested Harry. Uncle Vernon glared at him.

"We just wondered," Uncle Vernon continued, "if it didn't have anything to do with - your kind."

Harry was about to fire back an angry retort, but Aunt Petunia cut in.

"Yvonne was always there for me," she cried, "And I haven't called in ages. And poor Cho, she was very close to her mother, and- "

But Harry had stoped listening. His heart pounding, he asks tentatively, "Cho- Cho Chang? would she be about my age?"

Aunt Petunia gulped and nodded. His fears confirmed, Harry sat down and groaned. Uncle Vernon looked at him suspiciously.

"Ha! So you do know something about this! Come on, spit it out!"

Harry took a deep, steadying breath. "I..." he began, "I don't think she was a government worker." "What?"

"At least not for your government."

"What are you talking about, boy?"

"I think your friend Yvonne is a witch. "

"How dare you!" shrieked Aunt Petunia. She had stopped crying now, and was a glaring at Harry. "Why on earth would you say such a dreadful thing?"

Harry glared back at her. "Cho Chang is a witch. She goes to my school. She told me once that her parents work in the Ministry of Magic. "

The Dursleys gaped at him. All three of them looked stunned.

"But I've known her for years," whispered Aunt Petunia, "Years. "

"Let me ask you something," said Harry. "You were friends for ages and she was a witch. But you still like to her fine?" Aunt Petunia nodded. "Well, why does its matter now? You have hated my guts, and my parents' guts, forever, just because we were magical. Will you hate Yvonne now?" Aunt Petunia looked at him had for a few moments, and her lip began to tremble.

"I'm- I'm- sorry," she whispered. "Do- do you know what happened to her?"

"I think one of Voldemort's Death Eaters got her"

"Voldemort? That nutter is still around?" said Uncle Vernon, "Why haven't any of you done anything about him? What about that white-bearded guy?"

Harry went hot. He stood up, glaring at Uncle Vernon.

"That 'white-bearded guy' was my friend." Harry said through gritted teeth. " and to for your information, he's dead. "

"So there is no way of stopping him then," spoke up Dudley for the first time.

"Well, this is me," said Harry. Uncle Vernon snorted.

"You! Are you telling me that you are the- the" he fumbled for the right words, "'Chosen One' who is supposed to rid the world of evil?"

Harry looked at his uncle long and hard. Then-

"Yes I am. I'm the one who has to kill Voldemort. I have to hunt down four horcruxes, and destroy them. Then I've got to distroy the bit of his soul that still is in him."

Dudley reacted first .

"_You!!_ You couldn't even beat me when we were kids! How do you expect to take on the most evil Dark Wizard?!?"

Harry stopped short. He knew there was very little chance he would survive that last fight with Voldemort. As in Dumbledore had once said, the only power Harry had that Voldemort didn't was love. How would his ability to love help him against the most evil Dark Wizard of all time?

"Anyway," Harry yawned. "I'm really tired, I think I'll go to bed. " He turned around and grabbed his trunk.

"Best idea you've had in your life, boy," growled Uncle Vernon. "And one more thing!" Wearily, Harry turned around.

"What?"

"Get that bloody bird off the ceiling!"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Harry woke up the next morning to the sound of tapping. Blearily he opened his eyes, reached out for his glasses, and looked around for the source of the noise. A glance at the window quickly solved the puzzle: a minuscule owl was hovering outside, pecking it's beak against the windowpanes. Harry jumped out of bed, ran to the window and opened it. The owl flew in and started a zooming around the room. Harry recognized it as Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon.

"Come here, given that letter to me!" Harry said. He spent the next few minutes trying to catch Pigwidgeon, and eventually grabbed him in one fist, with only Pig's head protruding. He took the letter and opened it eagerly.

_Harry, _

_ I hope you're OK, the muggles didn't treat you too badly? Mum's going ballistic, she won't believe Hermione when she said you got home alright. Mum says you can come tonight and stay for the rest of the summer (she doesn't know we're not going back to Hogwarts). Hermione will come and get to you around 8 p.m., OK?_

_See you soon,_

_Ron _

Harry grabbed a quill, and quickly scribbled a note at bottom of the parchment.

_That's fine, I will be ready at 8, I can't wait to get out of here. I've got something I need to tell you, but it would be better to say it in person. _

_Harry _

Harry got dressed and walked downstairs. As it was only 7:30, he was the only one up, which suited Harry just fine. He needed to think.

The plan was to leave right after Bill and Fleur's wedding . He, Ron, and Hermione would go to Godric's Hollow and a visit his parents' graves, then hunt down the remaining horcruxes. The problem was, Harry didn't know where Godric's Hollow was, or where any of the horcruxes were.

A noise at the door made Harry jump. He turned to see Dudley walking into the kitchen. He looked at Harry sitting at the table and went over to the cupboard, without saying anything. Harry watched as his cousin got cereal, a spoon, and a bowl, and set them on the table. Dudley and went to the fridge, got milk out, and returned to his chair. As he poured milk on his Corn Flakes, Harry broke the silence.

"Umm... do you have a map of the country?" Harry asked Dudley as politely as he could. Dudley looked at him suspiciously.

"Possibly. Why?"

"Well... " Harry hesitated. Should keep tell the truth? "I - I was wondering where a - a town was. "

"Where _what _town is?" came a new voice. The two boys turned to see Aunt Petunia standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Umm..." Harry began as she started to make some coffee, "Well, it's just a small town, you probably wouldn't-"

"Try me," snapped his aunt. "Geography was my best subject in school. "

"It's... it's... well, the town is..."

"Spit it out!"

"Godric's Hollow," muttered Harry. Aunt Petunia gasped and dropped the coffee pot. Water spilled all over the floor, but she didn't seem to notice. She simply stared at Harry. It was at this time that Uncle Vernon chose to walk into the kitchen. He took one look at the scene, his eyes grew wide, and he muttered, "I'm going back to bed. " Dudley looked from his father's retreating back, to Harry, and then to his mother, who was still staring at her nephew.

"Where _is _Godric's Hollow?" he asked his mother. Aunt Petunia sat down in a chair, and turned her eyes to Dudley.

"That was where - where - _They_ - lived," she managed to get out. Harry glared at her.

"I knew _that _much. I wanted to know where I could _find _it. If you'd won't tell me, I'll look at a map. "

"You won't find it on any map," Aunt Petunia said.

"And why not?"

"Because no one has lived there for over 15 years. " his aunt continued. "It's a ghost town."

"But..." Harry said hopelessly, "Do you know where it is?"

There was a long pause. Aunt Petunia was now looking anywhere but at Harry.

"Yes," she finally muttered. "I'll be right back. " She got up from the table and walked upstairs. Dudley looked at Harry.

"Why do you want to go to Godric's Hollow ?"

Harry shrugged.

"I just wanted to visit my parents' graves," he said. Aunt Petunia came back into the kitchen, holding a box. She sat down and opened it. It was full of letters, all with the same address:

_Petunia Dursley_

_#4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey _

The return address said:

_Lily & James Potter_

_#7 Willow Lane_

_Godric's Hollow _

"She wrote countless letters to me," said Aunt Petunia. "Wanting me to send pictures, to come and visit, asking why I never wrote back." She sniffed. "I kept every one, but I never wrote her a single letter in reply."

Harry looked at his aunt. The silence was starting to get awkward, so we said, "Well, I'm leaving tonight at eight."

Aunt Petunia nodded.

"Will... will you try to find Yvonne?"

"I have a feeling that if I find Voldemort, I'll find her. "


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

At five minutes to 8 that evening, Harry walked into the sitting room, where the three Dursleys were seated. his trunk was packed with everything he owned; it was sitting next to Hedwig's cage in the front hall. He had his wand in his pocket, along with the address of his parents' house.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye," Harry said. They all looked up. Aunt Petunia walked over to him, and after a few awkward seconds, she put her arms around him.

"Stay safe," she whispered, and pressed an envelope into his hand

"What-" Harry begin, but his aunt muttered, "Don't opened it until you go to destroy the - the horcruxes. " Harry, bewildered, nodded. He walked over to his Uncle Vernon.

"Goodbye, then," said Harry. His uncle grunted, then pulled a 20 pound note out of his pocket, and pushed it across the table toward Harry.

"Use it well," growled Uncle Vernon. Harry tried to say thank you, but all that came out was a grunt. The thing was, Dumbledore had once written the same thing when he gave Harry his father's invisibility cloak kids. Uncle Vernon had seemed to sense what Harry was trying to say, and muttered, "Just skip the mushy stuff. Goodbye. " Harry nodded mutely. He turned and finally to his cousin. Dudley had been a source of pain and torment for 10 years and five summers of his life, but now Harry felt closer to his cousin then he had ever felt before.

Dudley extended a pudgy hand. Harry took it.

"Sorry," they both said. Harry couldn't help but smile. He walked out into the the front hall, picked up his trunk and Hedwig, and took one last look around. Harry then opened the door and walked out of number 4, Privet Drive for the last time.

Hermione was waiting for him at the end of the road.

"Did you say goodbye?" she asked. Harry nodded. "What's that?" she added, pointing at the envelope and money in Harry's hand.

"Old, my uncle gave me 20 pounds, and my aunt gave me this," he said, showing Hermione the envelope. "I'm not supposed to open it now, though. "

"All right," she said. "C'mon, Ron said you have something to tell us. "

"Yeah," Harry said. He took her arm, and after a few uncomfortable minutes they were standing outside the Burrow. They walked up to the door. Hermione knocked three times, then twice. Harry heard footsteps in side, then a voice said,

"Who is it?"

"It's Hermione and Harry, Mrs. Weasley. "

The door open, and Mrs. Weasley walked out.

"Oh, dears, how good to see -"

"Molly!" came a voice from inside. Mr. Weasley had come over. "Did you just let them in? You didn't ask them the questions!"

"Oh, Arthur, it doesn't matter! If they were going to attack us, they would have done so already!"

Mr. Weasley shook his head, and walked over to the two teens. Looking Harry square in the eye, he asked,

"Where did the core of your wand come from?"

"Umm..." Harry said, confused,"a Phoenix."

"What phoenix?" prompted Mr. Weasley.

"Faw-" began Harry, then fell silent. His mouth had gone very dry. He tried again. "Faw-"

Mr. Weasley seemed to sense what was wrong

"Er, yes Harry that's all right, come on in. Now Hermione. . . "

Harry walked inside, and headed toward the stairs.

"Yes, dear, they're all upstairs," Mrs. Weasley said kindly to him. "Go on up. Leave your trunk down here, I'll bring it up later. "

Harry slowly trudged up the stairs. Why hadn't he been able to say Fawkes' name?

_Because Fawkes is gone,_ he thought, _gone like Dumbledore_. Then an idea hit him so hard he staggered. _Wait a minute! Fawkes' feather is in my wand! So in a way he's still with me! And if Fawkes is still with me then so is Dumbledore!_ Harry jumped the last two stairs, and found himself standing outside Ron's room. He knocked and went inside.

Their hair blended in so well with the orange walls that Harry almost didn't see them. But there was no way he could miss their voices.

"Harry!"

"Good to see you, mate!"

"What about _me_?" came another voice from the door. Hermione had made it through Mr. Weasley's security process, and was standing behind Harry. Ron went red.

"Well – We – I mean–"

"How are you Hermione?" asked Ginny sweetly, glancing away from Harry. Hermione smiled.

"I'm good, thanks," she said, and sat down on the bed between Ron and Ginny. Harry shut the door and walked over to the bed.

"Muffliato," he said, pointing his wand at the door. "That'll keep anybody from hearing what we say, because we need to talk business. I'm going to be leaving right after the wedding, and–"

"Excuse me, Ron and I are going too!" interrupted Hermione.

"And I'm coming!" Ginny cried angrily.

"NO!" Harry exclaimed, but Ginny hadn't finished.

"First you break my heart–"

"Ginny, I–"

"–now you won't let me come with you to destroy the Horcruxes!"

"How did you know about that?" asked Harry.

"I heard you three talking on the train ride home," she snapped, tears starting to appear in her eyes "and don't change the topic! You said you couldn't go out with me because Voldemort would use me to get you. But don't you think that he's probably found out somehow? Wouldn't I be safer with you three?"

Harry groaned.

"Look – you – we – one of us is going to get hurt!" he shouted. "How will I feel if I let you come with me and you get killed?"

"OK, first of all," Ginny argued furiously, "who are _you_ to 'let' us do _anything_? I'm sixteen! I'm coming whether you like it or not!"

"Me too," spoke up Hermione.

"And me," Ron added. Harry looked from one determined face to another. Defeated, he said,

"Fine! But you all have to do exactly what I say! It could determine between life and death. If I tell you to run and leave me, you have to promise that you will."

The other three nodded.

"Alright, here's what I've got planned..."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

The wedding came and went. It was a beautiful sunny day: Ginny and Gabrielle, the bridesmaids, wore gold, and the groomsmen, Charlie, Fred, George, and Fred, were in black dress robes. The wedding was uneventful, except for when a garden gnome came out of the flower bed and sat on Fleur's mother's shoe. She screamed hysterically and started jabbering in French, and it took several minutes for Mr. Delacoeur to calm her down.

At the reception, Harry could have sworn he saw someone who looked very much like Percy standing at the back of the garden, but when he went to take a closer look, Percy had disapparated. Bill had sent Percy an invitation to be one of his groomsmen, but they had received no reply. After the reception, Bill and Fleur apparated to Spain, where they were spending their honeymoon. Once they had gone, Harry turned to Hermione and Ron. Ginny, spotting them, ran over.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Harry. The others nodded. " We'd better say goodbye, then." They had told Mrs. Weasley that they wouldn't be going back to Hogwarts the day before. Harry winced as he recalled the memory. The argument had shaken the roof for what seemed like hours; Mrs Weasley had bellowed herself hoarse before any of them could get a word in edgewise. Eventually though, Mrs Weasley admitted defeat.

Now as they walked over to her, Harry could see Mrs. Weasley thinking up another argument to keep them from leaving. Before she could say anything, Ginny ran to give her a hug.

"We'll be fine Mum," she said consolingly. Mrs Weasley sniffed loudly, then broke into sobs.

"You're all growing up and leaving me!" she cried. "Bill's gone, Charlie and Percy, Fred and George left, and now you two are going away!"

Ron patted his mother's back awkwardly. She squeezed him, and then moved on to Harry and Hermione.

"Be careful!" she wept. Harry smiled weakly.

"Take good care of Hedwig."

The four of them said goodbye to the rest of the Weasleys, Lupin., Tonks, and many others who were still lingering after the wedding. With that, they took one last look at the Burrow, turned, and disapparated.

* * *

They appeared in the alley behind the Leaky cauldron.

"Alright, where are we going first?" asked Hermione.

"I want to go to the apothecary and get some supplies." said Harry. "I'd like to have some handy." The others nodded. They went through the archway into Diagon Alley, and started walking toward the Apothecary.

"Oh no," breathed Ginny as they got closer. The entire builging was boarded up, and a large sign was tacked to the door saying: CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

"How are we supposed to get the ingredients now?" groaned Ron. Harry sat down and sighed. Hermione, however, looked thoughtful.

"Well... we- we could break in the back door," she said quietly. The other three looked at her, shocked.

"Are you _crazy_?" Ginny exclaimed, drawing the stares of several passerbys. Lowering her voice, she continued, "How on earth could we do that?"

"Most wizards place all sorts of enchantments on their front doors, so people can't get in," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "But they don't normally bother with the back door. A simple Alohomora should do the trick." Harry looked doubtful.

"Look, Hermione, it wil be kind of hard to destroy Voldemort if we're in Azkaban." But he was talking to thin air. Hermione had already squeezed between the wall of the Apothecary and Flourish and Blots. Harry, Ron, and Ginny followed reluctantly. They found Hermione standing with her hand on the door knob.

"I can't feel even the slightest trace of magic on this door," she said. "Either someone is really good at hiding their magic or–" she turned the knob "–Bingo!" The door had swung open, revealing a shabby, strong smelling room.

"Hermione, you're a genius!" whispered Harry. "OK guys, get everything you think will be useful. I'll put some money in the till."

After twenty minutes of searching, they returned to the counter with an armload of ingredients each. This included everything from several pints of dragon blood to flobberworm mucous. They counted up the prices, and Harry left a bag of galleons behind the counter.

"One problem, guys," Ginny said. "How are we supposed to carry this everywhere?"

"Good question," said Harry. "We can't go walking around with all this stuff, it'll look too suspicious."

Ron looked at the ingredients. "Could we transfigure them? You know, into something small and light?"

"I don't think that should have an effect on the quality of th potions," said Hermione. "It's worth a try." Rolling up her sleeves, she took out her wand. "Incohere Membrana!" she cried, pointing at a bag of bezoars. It disappeared and a piece of parchment was sitting in its place. Hermione pulled out a quill and neatly wrote "Bezoars" on it neatly. "The counter spell is 'Reverto' and it should work for all of these." They spent the next few minutes transfiguring ingredients into paper. When the last vial of dragon blood had been labeled, Harry rolled up the parchment and put it in his bag.

"Let's stop at the Leaky Cauldron for a quick tea," he suggested. Ginny looked skeptical.

"Are you sure we should spend our money so quickly?

Harry shrugged.

"I think we deserve one last good meal before we head out."

"I'll second that," agreed Ron, as his stomach growled.

* * *

The Leaky Cauldron, normally full of strange magical creatures, only had two hags eating at it that day. Tom the barman looked up eagerly as the bell over the door tinkled, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked in.

"Hi Tom," Harry said. "We're just stopping in for a quick meal, I guess four specials." Tom nodded.

"I'll have Maria bring your orders right out."

They chose a table and sat down. Hermione pulled out a huge book of spells and started pouring over it.

"Hermione, why are you carrying that huge book around?" asked Ron in disbelief. She didn't even look up.

"I'm trying to find some good spells," she replied. At that moment, a large lady who looked vaguely familiar to Harry walked over,

carrying numerous plates and glasses. She set them down on the table, smiled, and hurried back to the kitchen.

"Dig in," said Harry, helping himself to a piece of chicken.

* * *

It didn't take long for the chicken, bread, and butterbeer to disappear from the table. Maria spotted the empty dishes and hurried over. She picked up the dishes, but paused when she reached for the bread basket.

"A tisket, a tasket,

No more bread in your basket."

She grabbed it and walked back to the kitchen. The four teens stared.

"Oh don't mind her," Tom said from behind them. "She was a lovely lady until she moved into her great-aunt's old house. She came to work the next day and only spoke in rhymes. That is, when she spoke at all."

"Anyway, Tom," said Harry, "we'd better be going." He reached into his pocket for some galleons.

"Oh, no, no, no, no," said Tom, "I can't take your money."

"But–" persisted Hermione.

"You're not going to pay for your meal," the barman insisted. "Find a better use for that money."

"Gee, thanks," said Ron. They waved goodbye and walked out back into the alleyway.

"Godric's Hollow, here we come," said Ginny.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

They apparated out into a dark dingy street. The houses lining the street were boarded up and there was nobody in sight. Every step they took seemed to be magnified by 100 times.

"This place gives me the creeps," whispered Ginny.

"Yeah," Harry muttered. He couldn't believe it. His parents had lived _here_? "We need to find Willow Lane," he added, as they continued walking. At the end of the street was a large building with the words "Town Hall" inscribed on the door.

"Harry," called Hermione, "look over here!" She was standing by the wall, looking at two dusty, framed plaques. One was a map of the town and the surrounding areas. The other was a large picture of many people. The caption underneath read:

THE INHABITANTS OF FOUNDERS' REGION, JUNE 1981: Godric's Hollow, Serpent's Tongue, Ravensville, and Diggers' Valley.

Harry looked at the picture intently. And, there, sitting on the lower branch of that large tree. His parents were smiling, beaming up at him, and there was Harry in his mother's arms. It was summertime, and the tree was full of leaves. The sun was shining brightly, and there were birds nesting in the tree's branches. It was hard to believe that this bright, cheery town in the picture was the same dark, dingy place where the four were standing in the present. Harry scanned the picture over – and his heart stopped cold.

"What is it, Harry?" asked Hermione. Her eyes followed his gaze. "Oh – "

"What?" asked Ron and Ginny, coming over to see. Harry pointed at the photo.

Standing in the group labeled "Serpent's Tongue", a twisted smile on his face, was the greasy haired figure of Severus Snape.

"He lived here," said Harry in a hollow voice, "_here_, where my parents–"

"It doesn't matter, Harry," said Ginny soothingly. "Just forget about Snape. We're here to find you parents' house, remember?"

"Yeah," he muttered. Ron scanned the map.

"Here's Willow Lane, two streets over from here."

"Let's go," said Hermione. "Then we can get out of here."

Within minutes they were standing outside Number 7. It was a pile of rubble.

"This can't be it," muttered Harry. "There's got to be a house!"

"I read in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts that when Voldemort fell, the house was destroyed," said Hermione softly. "I thought you knew."

Harry ran into the rubble and started pulling away large pieces of rotted wood. There had to be _something_ that would help them, there just _had_ to be. He moved aside a broken candelabrum, a plant pot, then paused over a cylindrical container. He pulled off the top, and out came a long piece of parchment. When Harry unrolled it, he could see that it was a collection of poems, all written in the same loopy writing as the old letters from his mother.

"Harry, what's that?" asked Ginny.

"Poems my mum wrote," he muttered. Hermione looked around curiously.

"I never knew your mum wrote poetry."

"Neither did I," said Harry. "Come on, let's go."

"Go where?" Ron asked.

"I dunno, anywhere but here."

They walked around the streets in silence until they came to the graveyard. Harry vaulted the wooden fence, with the others close behind.

Lily and James' grave was neither very plain, nor very fancy. It was made of white marble, and engraved with the words:

**Lily Potter — 1962 -1981**

and

**James Potter — 1961 - 1981**

"This place is awfully dreary," commented Hermione. "Orchideous!" A bunch of brightly coloured flowers burst from her wand. "These should brighten it up a bit, don't you think?"

"Uh- yeah," said Harry. Hermione and Ginny began digging around at the base of the stone. Then Ginny gasped.

"Look at that!" Ginny pointed at the part of the stone they had just uncovered.

"I don't see anything," Ron said. Harry, however, looked closer. There was another engravement, in tiny, tiny letters. Squinting, Harry managed to read: _Find the envelope and solve the Riddle_.

"Of course!"

The other three jumped. Harry stood up excitedly and started rummaging in his pocket. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

"Is that the envelope you had when you left your aunt and uncle's house?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah," Harry replied excitedly. He ripped it open and pulled out a piece of parchment. Shaking it open, he saw, once again, his mother's handwriting. The others all leaned to see.

_Fractions of life you need to find,_

_Divided by a murderous mind._

_To help you now, and see you through,_

_For each piece we leave a clue._

_The houses were united strong, _

_But after a while, something went wrong._

_These first three clues each relate to_

_A different founder true._

**RAB**_Salazar Slytherin left his mark_

_On something shiny that's hidden in the dark. _

_To reach it you'll have to take a drink,_

_But two wizards in a boat and you will sink._

_Dear Helga Hufflepuff, she left this shiny prize_

_With powers unimaginable, it's a sight for sore eyes._

_Hidden in its rightful place,_

_Look on the shelf with an empty space._

_Rowena Ravenclaw was a gifted Seer._

_A common tool that can show your fear._

_This one pathed maze you'll need to find,_

_But beware of this creature of a frightful kind._

_We all have treasures close to our heart._

_These next two objects each play a part_

_On the road to life forever more._

_But for the last one, we are not sure._

_This next clue we'll propose to you,_

_Will have you going in circles for an hour or two._

_This fragment is much smaller than a mouse._

_To find it, go to a very gaunt looking house._

_This clue will require some thought._

_A quill and some paper will help a lot._

_Kept under the care of a "better" kind,_

_It's a teenager's thoughts you'll need to find._

_For the sixth piece, we cannot say._

_We do not know, even to this day._

_You'll have to find out on your own._

_For this clue, you are alone._

_The final fraction remains to stay_

_In its true home, shall we say?_

_To break the spell, and end it fast, _

_You must destroy this piece last._


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

"Woah."

"This helps us so much!" exclaimed Hermione. "Now we have a clue as to where the horcruxes are. Except for the necklace, and the one that your mum didn't know about."

"R.A.B. again!" stormed Harry. "Who is this guy?"

"Or girl," added Ginny. When Harry glared at her, she insisted, "Well, it could be!"

"Wait a minute," said Ron, studying the poem closely, "I think we're missing one." Ginny took the paper.

"Yeah, where's the snake?"

"That must be the one that my parents didn't know about," said Harry. "When Voldemort came to our house, he was planning to kill me for his last horcrux, Nagini."

"Well at least we have a place to start," said Ginny. "Let's get out of here, please?"

"Alright," said Harry, "let's go to Hogwarts."

"_Hogwarts??_"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to Dumbledore and get his memories." Ron and Ginny looked at Harry as though fearing for his sanity, but Hermione was smiling.

"Of course! I remember reading in Hogwarts: A History that the portraits of headmasters appear in the office when they die! But make sure to apparate outside the gates. You can't apparate or–"

"–disapparate inside the Hogwarts grounds!" chorused the other three, laughing.

"Um, guys?"

"Yeah?"

" How exactly are we going to get inside the grounds with all the security measures still in place?"

"Uh..." Harry hadn't thought of that.

"Maybe they take off the enchantments in the summertime," said Ron, walking up to the gates. He reached out a hand and pushed, hard, on the bars; they immediately swung open. "See," he said, walking through them, "what did I tell–"

There was a flash of red light, and Ron fell to the ground.

"Ron!!" yelled Harry, rushing forward, but before he reached the gate, a dark figure obstructed his way. The figure quickly blocked Harry's stunning jinx, before yelling,

"Stop where you are!!"

Harry and the others found themselves unable to move. The dark figure walked closer to get a better look at them, then stopped and laughed. Her voice sounded very familiar.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Suddenly Harry found that he could move again.

"_Tonks?!?_"

"Yeah, it's me," she said. "Hang on a second..." She screwed up her face in concentration, and a moment later, looked like her usual mousey haired self. "Sorry about that. You guys just surprised me, that's all."

"What are you doing here?" asked Ginny.

"I'm guarding the school, what does it look like?" Tonks retorted good-naturedly.

"In the summer?"

"Yeah, we can't have Death Eaters hiding in there, then attacking you when you go back in the fall, can we?" she asked. "Plus, there are people here today visiting Professor McGonagall. I don't know who, all I was told is that they are important wizards."

"Well, can we go up to the school, then?" asked Harry. "We need to check on some stuff."

Tonks looked at them suspiciously.

"What did you get for your tenth birthday from your aunt and uncle, Harry?"

"_What?!?_"

"Just answer the question." Tonks said.

"Umm.." Harry thought hard. "Oh yeah, a pair of my uncle's old socks. Why on earth do you ask?"

"Security question," answered Tonks. "I had to make sure that it was really you. Anyway, as long as you don't disturb McGonagall's meeting, I don't see why you can't go on up."

"Thanks Tonks," Harry said gratefully. "We'll see you later."

They ran up the lawn toward the oak front doors, which were already unlocked. The entire castle was deserted; they didn't see any people or ghosts on the ground floor. As they passed McGonagall's office on the first floor, however, they could hear voices, as well as the occasional blowing of a nose. Putting a finger to his lips, Harry began to creep down the corridor, the others at his heels.

"–and I assure you Mr. Chang, you have nothing to worry about. The Ministry is doing all that we can to find your wife."

The voice of Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister for Magic, came sounding through the office door. Then a second, angry voice cut in.

"Then why haven't you found her? She's been missing for weeks!"

"That's Cho!" whispered Hermione. "What's she doing here?"

"Her mum's gone missing," muttered Harry. He put his ear right against the door. It was quite hard to hear Scrimgeour's quiet reply. Mutely, Ginny pulled out a handful of Fred & George's Extendable Ears and handed them to everybody. Harry sent her a look of gratitude, and she smiled in return.

"–as I told you before, the Ministry is quite busy with other disappearances, and we'll send out more aurors to look for your mother as soon as we can–"

"By which time, she might be dead!" cried Cho.

"Cho, dear," said her father, "the Minister is doing all he can–"

"–Which isn't very much," muttered Professor McGonagall.

"Argh!" exclaimed Cho angrily, "none of you get it, do you? My _mother_ is missing, and you won't do anything about it!"

"My dear lady!" burst out Scrimgeour, but –

BANG!! The office door smashed open and out flew Cho. She slammed it shut so quickly that it took her a moment to notice her fellow students crouching on the ground. Cho's eyes grew wide and her cheeks red.

"What – what are you – why?" she stammered.

"Cho, I'm so sorry," whispered Hermione. "You must be devastated–"

"I don't want your pity," snapped Cho. Hermione looked shocked and Ginny glared at Cho.

"If you don't want us to help you, fine!" the younger girl said, and she started walking don the corridor. "Come on Harry, Ron, Hermione!"

"Wait!" cried Cho, "wait!" Ginny slowly turned around. "I'm sorry," Cho continued, tears brimming in her eyes. "It's just that nobody will look for her, not even the Minister for Magic! Will you really help me?"

"Well..." began Harry, avoiding her eyes, "we're going to finish off Voldemort–" Cho flinched "–and I figure we may find your mum along the way..."

"Oh, would you?" exclaimed Cho, throwing her arms around Harry. Ginny looked furious, and Cho, coming to her senses, let go of Harry very quickly. She backed away, redder than they had ever seen her. "Well, thank-you," she muttered to the floor. "I– I'll see you all later." She walked briskly down the corridor, still quite red.

"Let's keep going," said Ron. They continued on to the 7th floor and stopped outside the large stone gargoyle, behind which were steps leading to the Headmaster's offiice.

"Umm... how are we going to get in?" asked Hermione. "We don't know the password."

"That's true," said Harry. He looked at the stone gargoyle. "OK. Acid Pops. Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Licorice wands. C'mon guys, think of different kinds of sweets!"

After five minutes at it, they hadn't accomplished anything, other than making themselves quite hungry.

"Wait a minute," said Ginny. "These are all passwords that Dumbledore would have used, right?" Harry nodded. "But McGonagall's Headmistress now, so she chooses the password."

Ron groaned.

"We are doomed," he moaned. "Knowing McGonagall, it'll be some immensely complex password, something like that Q-knee-foam spell–"

"Cuneiform," corrected Hermione automatically.

Ron was the most surprised of all of them when the gargoyle sprang to life and leapt aside.

"Did that really happen?"

"Yeah," said Ginny in amazement, "Ron – that was brilliant!"

"You can all thank me later," he said smugly. "Right now – let's get whatever you need, Harry."

They sprinted up the stairs and found themselves standing in a spacious circular room. It looked just as it had when Dumbledore lived there, except that Fawkes' perch was empty. It seemed as though McGonagall couldn't bring herself to move any of Dumbledore's things from where they stood. Harry walked over to the only addition to the room: a gold framed picture of and old, white haired man, snoozing in a comfortable chintz armchair – Albus Dumbledore.

"Er- Professor?" Harry said quietly, then a bit louder, "Professor Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore slowly raised his head. When his blue eyes fell on Harry, he smiled.

"Harry, how good to see you," he said. "And Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and Miss Weasley! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"We wanted to ask you some questions about the horcruxes," said Harry, "so we can go and destroy them."

"'We'?" asked Dumbledore's portrait, mildly surprised. "So you three are going with Harry?"

"I tried to stop–" Harry began, but Hermione cut in.

"Yes we are and we're sticking with him to the end!"

Dumbledore smiled.

"I don't think I could have picked better companions myself!" he said, beaming. "So what is it that you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, I – I wsa wondering if – maybe – we could borrow your pensieve, and any memories that you have, just to see if we missed something?"

Dumbledore sat thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "I don't see why not. The pensieve should be in that cabinet over there, and in the other one behind my desk, you should find bottles with many of my memories."

"Right," said Harry, as Hermione and Ron hurried to grab the objects. "And, do you think you could help us with this?" He pulled out the parchment with his mother's riddle, and held it up to the portrait. Dumbledore studied it intently for several minutes.

"Where did you get this?" he asked eventually. Harry was surprised.

"My aunt gave it to me," he replied, "right before I left their house to go to the Weasleys'." Harry's curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "Did you know my mum knew about horcruxes?"

"Both of them, actually," said Dumbledore. "Both Lily and James were researching horcruxes. I never knew exactly what they were learning in the Department of Mysteries all those years, it was top secret. I didn't ask because I didn't want to draw attention to what they were doing. They must have written this in case anything happened to them. Lily must have given this to her sister Petunia for safe keeping."

"But do you understand any of these riddles?" asked Ginny, slightly impatiently. Dumbledore looked at her sadly.

"I'm sorry to say that it is _much_ harder to think as a portrait than as a living wizard. My mind is nowhere near what it was when I was alive." He shut his eyes and was silent.

Fearing Dumbledore may have fallen asleep again, Harry said, "Professor?"

Dumbledore's eyes flew open.

"Forgive me, Harry, I was simply wondering – You see, you neglected to tell me how you destroyed the locket that we found, and I was curious–"

"He didn't destroy the locket," replied Ron bitterly.

Before Dumbledore could say anything, Harry explained, "It wasn't the real horcrux. Someone had already taken it and left this fake one–" he showed Dumbledore the locket "–and this note." He quoted it from memory.

Dumbledore had shut his eyes again. When he opened them again, he said, "I'm so sorry, Harry. We should have opened the locket as soon as we were out of the cave."

"It's not your fault," muttered Harry. "Do you know who R.A.B. is?"

Dumbledore sighed.

"I knew many. There were the famous ones, Rosalind Antigone Bungs, Rupert "Axebanger" Brookstanton, and others not so well known. There was Rita Annabelle Brown... oh dear, my mind seems to be slipping again. I'm afraid you will have to find this 'R.A.B.' on your own."

"Alright," said Harry in disappointment.

"I hope that my memories will give you more help than I did," said Dumbledore somberly.

"Yeah, well, I just hope I get a crack at Snape before I reach Voldemort."

"What!?" cried Dumbledore, "no, Harry, you mustn't hurt Severus! You will understand later, but–"

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Harry. "He KILLED you, and you are still standing up for him!"

"Harry, Severus made an Unbreakable Vow–"

"Yeah, which I told you! Just like I'm telling you now–"

"You saw how Draco couldn't kill me, and if Severus didn't, then _he_ would die! Now Voldemort thinks he can trust Severus completely, while Severus is still able to help our side! I have already spoken to Professor McGonagall about this and–"

"Oh, yeah? And what does she think?"

"She was shocked, but willing to overlook the fact that–"

"That he KILLED you!"

"Harry," cried Ginny, "calm down!" Harry glared at her, but kept silent. Dumbledore sighed.

"There is a memory in the pensieve which will show you everything you need to know about this issue. No don't look now!" he added hastily, as Harry made to take the basin from Ron. "Just, before you do any harm to Severus, see what I had to think."

"Alright," said Harry, not looking at Dumbledore's portrait.

"In that case," said Ron, yawning, "can we find a place to stay the night? I'm bushed."

"You are certainly welcome to stay in the Gryffindor dormitory," suggested Dumbledore. The four teens looked at each other uncertainly.

"Is that safe?" asked Hermione.

"Oh yes," replied Dumbledore, "the students will be sleeping there in a month and a half, so you should have no problems."

"So the school is staying open?" asked Ginny.

"Of course," replied Dumbledore. "It would take more than the death of a headmaster to close Hogwarts."

"We- we'll stop in tomorrow morning to – to say goodbye," said Harry, heading for the door.

"And I will inform Professor McGonagall that you are here," added Dumbledore. "By the way, the password for the common-room is Europa."

They continued along the 7th floor corridor in silence until they reached the portrait of the fat lady. She looked at them in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "It's still summer holidays!"

"Never mind that," said Harry. "Let us in. The password's Europa."

"Correct," the fat lady said frostily, annoyed that Harry didn't answer her question . She swung open to reveal the Gryffindor Common Room.

It looked exactly the same as ever, and despite the lack of students, Harry finally felt at home again.

"See you two in the morning," he said to Ginny and Hermione, and they walked up their separate staircases.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay C.C. this one's for you, sorry it took so long. I have been sick all week so I couldn't type, but here it is finally. Thank-you to dollar-diamond-ring for reviewing -- it means a lot :-) 


	8. Chapter 8

Harry walked into the Common Room early the next morning, completely refreshed. He sat down in one of the squashy armchairs by the empty fire grate. Looking arund the room, he saw a large tapestry of the Gryffindor lion.

_There was a tapestry in Sirius' house_, recalled Harry, and he heard two pairs of footsteps coming from the girls' dormitory. _It was a family tree. "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" was sewn in gold letters at the top, and then all the family was underneath: Mr & Mrs. Black, a gold strand leading to a burn mark, and another strand leading to Sirius' brother, Regulus Black_--

"Harry, are you alright?" asked Hermione. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Well, in figurative terms, anyway."

Wide-eyed, Harry shook his head mutely.

"Well then, what's the matter?" questioned Ginny, looking concerned. After mouthing soundlessly for a moment longeer, Harry finally managed to get the words out.

"R. A. B.," he whispered.

"So?" said Ginny. "Look, we know you're disappointed about that horcrux, but--"

"What about a horcrux?" came another voice. Ron had appeared at the foot of the dormitory stairs.

"Guys," gasped Harry, "I think I know who R. A. B. is!"

"Who?" they cried. Harry took a deep breath.

"Regulus Black!"

The words didn't have quite the reaction he had pictured. The other three looked at him blankly.

"Regulus Black!" Harry repeated, "You know, Sirius' brother?"

"Sirius had a brother?" asked Hermione curiously. "Where is he? Does he know Sirius is--"

"His brother died years ago," said Harry excitedly, "but listen to this! Regulus had joined the Death Eaters, but when he tried to back out, they killed him!" The others looked at Harry, wide-eyed.

"So are you saying," began Ginny, "that Regulus Black took the locket?"

"Yes!" cried Harry, "it all fits!" He quoted from memory the letter inside the fake locket. "'To the Dark Lord-', well, only Death Eaters called Voldemort that, '-I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret-' Regulus probably knew the other Death Eaters were coming after him, but he wanted to make sure Voldemort knew who destroyed his horcrux."

"But _did_ he destroy it?" asked Ron.

Harry shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, "but maybe Dumbledore will have some idea. Let's go!"

* * *

"Cuneiform!" gasped Hermione to the stone gargoyle outside the headmistriss' office. The gargoyle sprang to life and jumped out of their way.

Racing up the stairs, Harry pushed open the door, and cried, "Professor!"

"Yes?" came a chorus of voices. 49 portraits and Minerva McGonagall had answered his call.

"Not all of you," Harry said, gesturing to the walls, "I just want to talk to Professor Dumbledore!" Several portraits looked highly affronted, but Harry ignored them. "Professor Dumbledore, I-" he broke off and glanced at Professor McGonagall.

"Could you excuse us for a few minutes, Minerva?" asked Dumbledore politely. Professor McGonagall's mouth formed a tight line, but she walked over to the door.

"I'll escort them to the gates after you are finished," she said, and walked out, shutting the door loudly behind her.

"Now what is it that you so urgently needed to see me for?" Dumbledore asked.

"I think I know who R.A.B. is!" exckamed Harry.

"My, that was fast," said Dumbledore, smiling. "So, tell me, who do you think it is?"

"Sirius' brother, Regulus Black!"

Dumbledore stopped. Looking at Harry in amazement, he said, "Harry... that's brilliant! And it makes perfect sense!"

"So do you know where the Horcrux would be?" asked Ron.

"Well, the little I knew of Regulus while he was at Hogwarts was that he was very full of himself. Exceptionably bright in some areas, but in judging other people, now that was his weakness. I'm guessing, if he didn't destroy it, it would be somewhere at Number 12 Grimauld Place. You might want to try there first."

"Alright," said Harry. Now that it was time to leave, Harry didn't know what to say. Dumbledore seemed to understand.

"Forget not from where you come," Dumbledore said, now serious. "Hogwarts is the best school of wizardry there is. You will be fine. Now go."

* * *

"So what was so secret that I had to be excluded?" asked McGonagall frostily as the four walked out of the office.

"We really couldn't say," said Hermione cooly.

"Now tell me," said McGonagall, as they made their way down the floors, "how did you get into the castle when it was so heavilly guarded?"

"Tonks let us in," said Ginny. McGonagall looked annoyed.

"I'll have to have a word with her-"

"Tonks didn't do anything wrong," Ron said quickly. "She stunned me and froze the rest of us, before we even saw her. Then she asked Harry the security question."

"Very well then," McGonagall said shortly. The remainder of the journey to the grounds passed in silence. As they approached the gate, Tonks smiled at them.

"Hello!" she said.

"So," said McGonagall, "I suppose this is it, then?

"'Suppose so," said Harry.

"Bye, Tonks, Professor," said Ron.

Tonks waved; McGonagall nodded curtly. They passed through the gate and walked several feet down the lane.

"I think this is far enough," Hermione said.

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Harry reminded them. The four turned on the spot and were gone.

* * *

"Harry?

"Yeah"

"How do we get into Number 12?"

"What do you mean?" snapped Harry. They were walking up Grimmauld Place and Harry was counting the house numbers: 8, 9, 10, 11, 13. He stopped at the space between Numbers 11 & 13, where Number 12 should have been.

"Well," said Ginny, "Dumbledore was the Secret Keeper, right?" Harry nodded. "But now he's dead, so how does that affect the security of the house?"

Harry groaned.

"I have absolutely no idea."

Ron and Ginny looked miserable. Hermione, however, had that impatient, know-it-all expression on her face.

"Well, if the Secret Keeper dies, then the 'knowledge' passes on to the rightful owner of the place that is being hidden. In this case, that would be you, Harry."

"So how do I get it to appear?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Hmm..." said Hermione slowly. "I think you just need to picture it in your mind and concentrate. Once you can see it, you'll have to tell us where it is so that we can get in too."

"Okay," agreed Harry. He closed his eyes and tried to picture the house in his mind. _Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place._

"Is it working?" whispered Ron.

Harry opened his eyes.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. A large, dirty old house was growing between Numbers 11 and 13, pushing them aside. "Okay," Harry continued, "you can find my house at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."

Ginny's eyes widened.

"We can see it, we can see it!" she cried. "Let's go inside!"

CRACK!!

* * *

Okay, I'm sorry this took so long (several months, I know), but I lost the files on my computer, so I had to type it out again. Plus the last book came out, and I had to read that a couple times through... but anyway, enough excuses. I'm very sorry about the delay. 


End file.
